When I write "those dark-skinned folks of the third world", it is
because that is clearly the assumption of the writer of this web-
page -- it's not my world-view but his/hers. The page is primarily
culturally insensitive, but in this instance the culture being mocked
is entirely black, and I don't think the two are unrelated.
This has nothing to do with my protection of them, it has to with the
fact that I found several of the remarks offensive because they make
broad, unflattering stereotypes that imply a strongly prejudiced
attitude and assumptions about the people in question.
- David
--- In OliveStarlightOrchestra_at_yahoogroups.com, mayhem <meurtre_at_e...>
wrote:
> I can go as far as to say that some of these jokes could be
> construed as "culturally insensitive" (as could just about all
> ethnic/geographical humor). But to claim that they are "racist"
> leads me to believe that you see the world through race-tinted
> lenses. "Those dark-skinned uncivilized folks of the third world"
> indeed. What a racist way to look at it!
>
> I don't think the "dark-skinned . . . folks" of the world need
> your protection--or want it. It's a rather patronizing position
> you've taken.
>
> Yours,
>
> J
>
>
> > Joy-
> >
> > Not all of it is racist and there are certainly some funny bits
> > (heck, the conference fee itself is worth a good chuckle); but a
> > number of the jokes are very clearly based on broad stereotypes of
> > either Africa or those dark-skinned uncivilized folks of the third
> > world. If the focus was strictly on things like the use of capital
> > letters and some of the other aspects of the emails itself, it
would
> > have been fine. It's the extraneous "cultural" elements which use
> > mocking disdain and broad stereotyping (crickets, some of
> > the 'inflected' speech, and the comment requesting that the
> > participants use the restrooms) as humor.
> >
> > It's not that you can't make fun of how laughably inept some of
these
> > scams are and about the thought processes behind them, it's when
you
> > go beyond that and make fun of how "backwards" these people might
be
> > in their day-to-day lives. (Let's laugh about what they eat, let's
> > laugh about how they don't even know how [or are unwilling] to
use a
> > toilet).
> >
> > - David
> >
> >
> >
> > --- In OliveStarlightOrchestra_at_yahoogroups.com, mayhem
<meurtre_at_e...>
> > wrote:
> >> Racist!?
> >>
> >> It does play off against stereotypes about the developing world--
> > which
> >> functions in the context of the joke as a sort of "backwater" of
> >> civilization--but that isn't a lot different from the sorts of
> > jokes we make
> >> about rural white Southerners. The implication is that only
someone
> > from a
> >> relatively unsophisticated culture would send out e-mails like
this
> > and
> >> think people would actually bite and send them money.
> >>
> >> The joke isn't the con, it's how ridiculous the con appears to
the
> > average
> >> American--particularly those from educated backgrounds or urban
> > areas.
> >>
> >> I don't happen to recall whether crickets are eaten in Africa. I
> > think not.
> >> Certainly indoor plumbing is a novelty in large parts of sub-
> > Saharan Africa,
> >> though. The point is not the details of the joke--any more than a
> > joke about
> >> "trailer trash" depends on the targets actually residing in
> > trailers.
> >>
> >> The joke has nothing to do with skin color, and everything to do
> > with
> >> culture.
> >>
> >> Clearly the producer of the web site is not targeting all
Africans--
> > just
> >> e-mail scammers. Just as most jokes about "rednecks" don't (or
> > shouldn't)
> >> target all Southerners--just those who are undereducated and/or
> > racist.
> >>
> >> I just do not see a tie-in to the color of African skin, here.
Just
> > don't.
> >>
> >> I think it's a little problematic to assume that everytime a joke
> > is made,
> >> and people of color--or a person of color--are/is part of the
> > target group,
> >> the term "racist" can be thrown around. This attitude can lead to
> > tiptoeing
> >> around anyone who is a member of any minority group (or females),
> > lest one
> >> be accused of insensitivity/racism/sexism/hetrosexism.
> >>
> >> And without humor, where the hell are we?
> >>
> >>
> >> --Q.M.
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> Lenny-
> >>
> >> I don't consider myself overly touchy about these things, but
this
> >> link is seriously racist. I know it's just trying to be funny,
but
> >> jokes about eating crickets and making sure guests use the
restrooms
> >> have nothing to do with email scams and everything to do with
> >> prejudices about Africans.
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> --- In OliveStarlightOrchestra_at_yahoogroups.com, "7visions"
> >> <7visions_at_p...> wrote:
> >>>
> >>> ----- Original Message -----
> >>> http://j-walk.com/blog/docs/conference.htm
> >>>
> >>>
>
>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Received on 2003-06-14 14:05:16